Private Chris
by narniagirl11
Summary: An interview with Private Chris Dinkfeld, a character from my novel, "Airplanes in the Night Sky."


**Author's note: **This is a character interview with Chris Dinkfeld from "Airplanes in the Night Sky." I had to write this for my creative writing class. It is in the format that they gave me. Hope you enjoy a closer look at Chris. Oh, and incase you couldn't tell: Chris doesn't believe in God, unlike Newman, Peter, Edmund, Jimmy, Doctor Pevensie and the others. The questions in bold are Jimmy speaking.

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**Character Interview: Jimmy Hawthorne with Chris Dinkfeld **

Jimmy sits in his usual spot at the open door of the trench hospital, watching the cohorts march past as he whittles. Behind him, he can hear the restless pacing of a soldier. He turns and watches over his shoulder as the muscular man walks to and fro, nervously muttering to himself and running his hand through his brown hair.

"You might as well take a seat," Jimmy speaks up. The man stops abruptly and notices Jimmy for the first time. He watches him for a moment with narrowed eyes. His eyes flicker over Jimmy quickly but stop when they notice the young lad is missing a leg.

"Who are you?" the soldier asks suspiciously.

"Jimmy Hawthorne," Jimmy replies, ignoring the intimidating look. "You might as well have a seat. Doctor Pevensie is a good doctor, but he can be tedious and a bit slow. You didn't introduce yourself," Jimmy reminded.

"Name's Chris Dinkfeld," the soldier answers.

"Nice to meet you, Chris," Jimmy greets. "Can I ask a few questions about you? It will pass the time."

"S'pose." Chris shrugs.

**1. What was your job before the War? Did you like it? Why or why not?**

"I was a mechanic," Chris answered. "I might not have always enjoyed it, but it sure beats soldiering. I was good with my hands and I had a natural talent for fixing things. I was making a way for myself in the world. That was before I was drafted."

**2. Do you have any friends? Significant others? **

Chris nods. "That's my cousin Newman in the other room helping the doctor. Four years ago, I married Margie Crawford, the beauty of the town. We have two daughters. The youngest recently started her first year of boarding school."

**3. What is your idea of success?**

"Current success would be surviving this bloody war. That's my priority." Chris looks smug. He thinks he's been doing a pretty good job so far. Yet the phrase, 'Pride comes before a fall,' resonates in Jimmy's mind.

**4. What do you hate?**

"Religion," he scoffs. "It's all nonsense. Science is the only logical and reliable resource for answers; not some invisible god and his thousand page book of do's and don'ts, can and can'ts."

Jimmy is surprised by the answer but doesn't say anything more on the subject.

**5. What do you do in your spare time?**

Chris shakes his head. "I don't have spare time. I'm either eating, sleeping, on alert, or fighting."

**6. What did you have for breakfast? **

"Breakfast?" Chris looks surprised. "I haven't had a meal worth calling breakfast in months. It's more like gnawing on cardboard before you spend all day waiting in the trench. I would give almost anything for a hot plate of biscuits and gravy made by my Margie."

**7. Did you ever have a pet? Describe it.**

"A pet?" Chris frowns, trying to remember. "I'm not exactly sure. We might have had a dog when I was a young lad." Animals are obviously not a concern to him.

**8. Do you believe in luck? Why?**

Chris laughs. "Do I believe in luck? Why, what else is there keeping our world from total disaster? It's all luck. Luck has always taken care of me. Take care of luck and she'll take care of you. That's what I always say."

**9. What is your favorite scent? Why?**

"Scent?" Chris frowns as he thinks. He has trouble remembering any scent but the stench of battle. At last he answers as a forgotten word makes its way to his lips. "Vanilla. I bought Margie a bottle of French Vanilla perfume for our first anniversary." He is momentarily detached as he becomes absorbed in memories of home. Jimmy clears his throat and brings Chris back to the present.

**10. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?**

A smirk appears on Chris's worn face. "The look on Newman's face when I told him I had been drafted. I wasn't sure if he was happy or upset. There seemed to be both emotions in his face. After that I discovered that he had been drafted as well."

**11. What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?**

He smiles and laughs softly. "When Margie put our first girl into my arms, I was terrified. I'd never been good with children." Chris holds up his rough hands and examines them. "I was so sacred I would mar my daughter's little face with these big hands."

Jimmy looks at the large man and smiles. At first he had thought that Chris was cold, but he discovered that behind the gruffness, there was a soft side.

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**Author's note: **Hope you liked your closer look!


End file.
